Private William Thomas Carson
William Thomas Carson was born on 20 March 1892 in Circular Road, Coleraine, County Londonderry, one of at least four children of RIC constable Thomas Carson and his wife Louisa (née White). His mother died when he was just four years old. By the time of the 1911 Census he was living at 4 Institution Road, Coleraine, with his father and two siblings.
Carson enlisted in the North Irish Horse between July 1908 and early 1911 (regimental number unknown). I have not been able to determine whether he was still with the regiment at the outbreak of war in August 1914. It is quite possible, however, as the Presbyterian Church in Ireland's Roll of Honour includes a William Carson, trooper, North Irish Horse, on the Coleraine First Congregation's roll. He did not serve overseas with the regiment.
By 1917 Carson was serving in the Royal Irish Fusiliers. On 10 December that year he married Martha Matilda Dundas (née Wallace) in the Enniskillen Church of Ireland Parish Church. At the time he was posted to the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion of the Royal Irish Fusiliers and was serving at Bere Island, County Cork. It appears that he continued to serve with the regiment after the war, as records show him with the Fusiliers with a post-war army number (7042467).
During World War 2, Carson served in the Royal Engineers, No.1 (Inland Water Transport) Company (No.7042467). He was killed in a road accident in Lurgan on 13 February 1941 and was buried in the Lurgan Cemetery (grave H.8).
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Belfast Telegraph
Newspaper image courtesy of Nigel Henderson at History Hub Ulster. Gravestone image courtesy of the War Graves Photographic Project.